Splink | Song for Justice

Play a game of kickball to see the need for an impartial judge. (If it’s too cold outside, play a game of balloon volleyball—play as usual but with a balloon.) Divide the kids into two teams. Set up the bases and home plate. Flip a coin to see who goes first. Tell them the rules:
1. Three kicks (tries) and you’re out.
2. If you are tagged by the ball, you are out.
3. When you run around three bases and then home, you score a run.

(Depending on the ages of your kids, you may need to adjust rules or the game. The idea can work with any game.)

Announce that you will be the judge and scorekeeper. Allow them to play a couple of minutes keeping score, but then make wrong calls and show partiality to one team. (Example of things you might say: I’m going to give this team 2 points because she is wearing the cutest shirt. I think that ball was really out (when it really wasn’t) and give the other team a point. I know they missed that ball, but I think they should have 5 points for trying. Etc.)

End the game and talk about it:

How did you feel when I was making unfair judgments?

Why is important that a judge or scorekeeper is fair and impartial? (Why try if it doesn’t matter; there’s no point in playing; etc.)

We all want things to be right and fair. This sense of justice (meaning what is right or as it should be) comes from God, who is just. God, our judge is completely fair. He is completely fair and will judge the world with perfect justice.

David wrote this psalm (109) but no one is certain if it was about a specific situation or about a particular person or group of people. But we do know that David was wrongly accused, lied about, and even many attempts were made on his life. God had chosen David as the next king of Israel, but he had to hide in caves to keep from being killed by King Saul. If anyone could say, “That’s not fair,” it was David. Instead of getting revenge, David asked God to take care of the situation.

When your child is going through a difficult situation and complains that things are not fair, remind them that God can (and will) take care of the situation—in His way and in His time. This requires sensitivity and gentleness, but it is the best way to handle things we can’t control.

Ask him to think about the situation/person that doesn’t seem fair. Then ask him to imagine holding the situation in his hand. Finally, invite him to lift his hands up and invite God to take care of it. (He could even pray something like this: “I give this to you. I will not try to get revenge. I ask You to take care of it.”)

God is just in His way and in His timing! In Romans 8:28, God promised that all things work together for good to those who love Him. He did not say that all things are good, but that He would cause good to come from it.

Demonstrate this by making a cake (or another treat)! Show how each ingredient is not so tasty (ugh! flour, oil, etc.) but all together, something good (and delicious) comes from it. This is a reminder that we may not like each unfair thing, but God is just and He will keep His promise. Rather than asking God, “Why, why, why?” pray, “Please God, show me how good can come from this!”